Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Meet Tap Station – A New Growler Filling Station and More

Kyle Duce opened Locöl in West Seattle back in January 2011. The restaurant and bar was an immediate hit with the folks living in the High Point neighborhood. Before opening Locöl, Kyle talked to his neighbors about what kind of place they wanted in the neighborhood. He simply gave them what they’d been longing for—a comfortable spot to get a good beer, a glass of wine and some tasty food. Over the past two years, the conversation has continued.

Today we share news that Kyle is opening a new business right next door to Locöl, in the spot previously occupied by Sharon’s Westwood Florist at 7900 35th Ave. SW (map). Kyle Duce and his partner Charlie Worden (the GM and chef at Locol) hope to have Tap Station open by July.

The new business venture meets a few needs. First, it will be a growler filling station with both beer and wine on tap. To begin with, there will be eight beers and eight wines on tap. Kyle plans to install at least one Pegas CraftTap growler filler, the same kind of high-tech device used at Beer Junction (blog sponsor) and 99 Bottles (blog sponsor). The draft beer selection will rotate, maintaining a focus on local beers.

“We expect to get the doors open pretty quick,” says Kyle. “Because of the kind of business this will be, there’s not much permitting to do with the city. If all goes as planned, we should be able to open around July 1.”

Alongside the beer, there will be eight taps pouring wine from Seattle’s Proletariat Wine Company, which created a niche for itself by offering top quality wines on tap. Since some of the wines are quite outstanding, but are only available on tap, the idea of filling bottles to go is gaining popularity. The wine will be poured into 750-milliliter bottles. Filling a 64-ounce growler with Proletariat wine would be rather expensive.

Kyles says that beer and wine tasting events will likely be regular occurrences at Tap Station. What other kinds of events the space will host remains to be seen.

Tap Station will also have a couple of reach-in coolers with beer to go. Kyle is not setting out to compete with the local bottleshops in terms of selection; he just aims to provide a place for people in the neighborhood to pick up a good six-pack or 22-ounce bomber. He intends to offer at least one affordable option, such as Rainier Beer, for the unenlightened.

Beyond offering beer and wine to go, Tap Station will also be available as an event space. “Customers often want to make reservations at Locöl for larger groups, which the restaurant is not set up to accommodate,” says Kyle. “The new space will seat groups of 15 to 20 people, with the food catered by the kitchen next door.”

“This neighborhood has seen a lot of changes in recent years,” says Kyle. “A lot of older people have moved on. A lot of young families are moving in, couples buying starter homes, buying up the little bungalows around here. They need someplace to go.”

This news comes on the heels of reports that a sports bar will be opening just a few doors south of Locöl. Westy Sports and Spirits will be located at 7908 35th Ave SW and will offer beer, wine, spirits and food, along with billiards, skee ball, shuffleboard, and a whole bunch of televisions. Westy Sports hopes to open in time for football season. We’ll keep you posted as that plan comes together.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.